The joint drills include simulations of US and Filipino troops recapturing islands as Manila and Beijing contest maritime territory in the South China Sea.

Some 16,700 Filipino and US troops began annual joint military exercises in the Philippines on Monday, amid tensions with China over  Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region.

The exercises, dubbed Balikatan, or “shoulder to shoulder,”  include testing weaponry and equipment.

This year, the drills also include the mock retaking of “occupied” islands in the South China Sea.

In recent months, China and the Philippines have been at odds over territorial disputes in the South China Sea, with Chinese coast guard vessels frequently harassing Philippine boats with water cannons.